Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For Stew: Spray medium-size Dutch oven well with nonstick cooking spray and set over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add onion, celery and carrot and saut??, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften ??? about 3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook and stir 1 minute more. Scoop vegetables into large bowl and reserve.

Place flour, salt, and pepper in large plastic bag and shake to combine. Pat veal chunks dry, then dredge a few chunks at a time by shaking in seasoned flour in bag. Shake excess flour from each batch.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to Dutch oven and heat over moderately high heat until ripples appear on pan bottom ??? 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add half the dredged veal and brown well on all sides ??? 5 to 7 minutes. Lift browned veal to bowl with vegetables. Add remaining tablespoon oil to Dutch oven, brown remaining veal the same way, and add to the bowl.

Pour wine into Dutch oven and boil, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half ??? about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken broth, return reserved veal and vegetables to pot, and bring to a boil. Mix in 2 tablespoons parsley.

Cover, transfer to oven, and braise, stirring every half-hour, until veal if fork-tender ??? about 1 1/2 hours.

To serve, divide mashed potatoes among eight heated dinner plates centering on plates, and with the back of a spoon, make well in each potato mound. Ladle stew over all and sprinkle lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

Note: Veal shanks, the traditional cut for this Italian classic are loaded with fat, the marrow inside the bones contributing the lion's share. This recipe uses lean veal shoulder, trimmed of fat, and fat-free chicken broth.